


Ink Stained Walls

by Stkichi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 100 Year War (Avatar TV), Alternate Universe, Ba Sing Se, Earth Kingdom (Avatar), Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/M, Firebending & Firebenders, Growing Up Together, Politics, Social Issues, The Dai Li (Avatar), There Is No War In Ba Sing Se
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29003862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stkichi/pseuds/Stkichi
Summary: Lee wants nothing more than to go back to the way things were. Jin wants nothing more than the chance of opportunity. While she dreams of exotic lands, he only seems to have nightmares of dragons.In the city of walls and secrets, proper guidance is important.
Relationships: Jin & Zuko (Avatar), Jin/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 25





	1. Dirty, But Not Smiling

_If you have recently relocated to a new district, please familiarize yourself with any specific laws, curfews, banned substances, pre-approved public gathering locations, and accepted literature for that district. Failure to adhere to a district’s specific regulations may result in a monetary fine, seizure of property, and/or arrest._

-Dai Li ordinance #128

* * *

Lee’s perpetually worsening nightmare reached what he thought would be a crescendo when the thick book his father had brought in slammed on to the table. When dropped from an adult’s arms the book caused the table to squeak out ominously, Lee bet it could probably kill a man if dropped from a great enough height.

“The Dai Li’s Guide to the Lower Ring.” Lee read the neatly printed letter on the hardcover before turning to address his father. “They can’t seriously expect us to read all this wenshu, can they?”

“Language, Lee!” His father admonished his son before pulling the book over to himself. With the slightest shake of his fingers, he began leafing through it. “Oh dear…” He muttered to himself as Lee bounced up and down next to him trying to read over his shoulder.

“What’s it say? What’s it say?”

His father turned to him; his lips set in a tight line. “It says… it says that any young boys must listen to their father when they tell them to go out and enjoy the rest of Huotian.”

“Ha….ha….” Lee drawled out sardonically. “We still have some boxes to unpack.”

His father looked over in the corner where the last of their belongings remained. “That’s one box, Lee.” He sighed deeply before continuing. “And it is my supplies, we won’t be needing those for a while…”

Lee placed a comforting hand over his father’s and squeezed tightly. “You going to be ok, Dad?”

Waving away his son’s concern, he smiled and bit back the painful memory. “Of course. Now go, you have school tomorrow and you need to enjoy yourself before the weekend is through. We passed by a park on our way in, I’m certain I saw some children playing there.”

The mention of his new school brought Lee back to reality. Back to the soul crushing knowledge that after today he could no longer pretend that his father would reveal that this was some elaborate joke and they could go back to their old life.

“Ok, fine.” He finally grumbled out after his father looked at him expectantly.

With agility surprising of one his age, his father practically shoved Lee out the door and shut it behind him. “I am locking this door and will not be unlocking it unless you return covered in dirt and smiling.”

“That’s not fair!” Lee complained to the wooden door, it’s blue paint long overdue for a new coat.

“I’ll be here reading all the new exciting rules of our new district until you get back!” The voice of his father called out as he walked away from the entrance.

 _Ok, that may actually be worse than the park,_ Lee thought to himself before turning down the street.

Only a couple hours until dusk, the waning sunlight made these narrow streets look even smaller and confusing. He was lucky that he remembered the park was on the same street as their new home, for he doubted he could have found it otherwise.

After passing one rundown building after another, Lee arrived on the outskirts for what constituted as a park in the Lower Ring. The entire field, which was made up of more weeds than grass, could probably fit in their old house.

 _Grand Crystals Park,_ he read the unsurprisingly faded sign to himself. There was certainly nothing grand about it in Lee’s eyes, there weren’t any crystals around either, and he guessed it could technically be considered a park. That is, if the only qualification for being a park was an empty lot they hadn’t managed to build a shantytown over yet.

Despite his own misgivings, this didn’t stop a group of six boys he guessed to be his age kicking around a ball. They didn’t even seem to mind when they kicked up so much dust that they had to keel over coughing. Knowing his father wouldn’t let him until after sunset anyway, Lee decided he’d at least try to have some fun.

“Can I play?” If he knew how much the innocent question would doom him, he would’ve made a mad dash for the Upper Ring, Dai Li be damned.

Their game came to a halt as all the boys examined the intruder. After a few seconds of inspection, one of the boys whispered into the ear of another, who then began sauntering over to Lee with a toothy grin.

“You’re the new kid, huh?” The boy circled around him as if he were a lion vulture that had just spotted a dying hog monkey.

“Um, I guess so.” Lee replied as his eyes scanned the faces of the other boys, who were still waiting for their de facto leader to make the first move. Part of the extensive education Lee had received in his young life was all about how to avoid bad situations like the one he had suddenly found himself in. “Anyway, you guys already have even team so I should go.”

“Not so fast.” The other boy was quick. He had grabbed Lee’s shoulder just as he spun on his heels. “Is it true that you used to live in the Upper Ring?”

The boy’s dirt caked nails dug into Lee’s shoulders and he gulped as he realized how trapped he was. Not able to find his voice, Lee just nodded once.

“So are the rumors true about your father then?” The boy asked much to the delight of the others who could barely contain their giggling before the punchline.

Lee was no coward, if this is how this whole thing was going to go then he would at least get a few good licks in. Besides, nobody talked badly about his father.

The boy gripping his shoulder never saw the fist before it collided with his noise. His grip on Lee ceased as he brought both his palms to his face, the blood seeping through his fingers. There was no time for celebration though, as the other boys rushed to defend their leader.

Lee landed a knee to the groin of the first one that approached before his allies could help. He spun low to avoid the ill-advised right hook of the next before tripping him with a leg sweep.

There was just no fighting against a numbers advantage that big though. The three boys left rushed him at once and all Lee could do was protect his face as they dove on top of him. In the pileup he took many an elbow, kick, slap, and punch but luckily the boys had no idea what they were doing and missed their marks. Three against one hurt no matter what though.

Finally, after wrestling his slippery limbs into their respective grips, the others held Lee down as their leader stood over him with a bloodied smile. Even an amateur could aim a kick to the ribs of a held down opponent, and the boy was not going to stop at one.

Satisfied after three kicks that had Lee seeing dazzling lights in his vision, the leader spit a goblet of blood onto Lee’s cheek before speaking. “I heard they kicked your father out of the Upper Ring after they found out your mother was a dira-fu! She opened her legs and your dumb-as-wenshu father actually believed she loved him.”

The humiliating laughter almost hurt as much as the throbbing pain in his side. The boy pinning Lee’s legs under his weight decided to chime in as well. “Look at his hair too! Stuck up like a firebenders!”

Lee had always worn his jet-black hair tied tightly at the crown of his head, but he did so to emulate his father. He couldn’t help but notice all the other boys kept their hair down and messy.

“Get off me!” His arms both pinned, Lee could only use his mouth in retaliation.

“Not until we get some payback.” The boy with the bloody and crooked nose said. “I’ll take the nose, but I think my friend here owes you a knee to a very special area.” He gestured to the boy that was still keeled over, his face as bright as a tomato.

The sun disappeared from view as the boy’s head eclipsed it. Blood from his nose dripped onto Lee’s forehead, although he was much more concerned about the cocked back fist.

“Get off of him!” The distinctly female command seemed to freeze time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading the first chapter of my first story, I hope you enjoyed enough to stick around. You probably have a lot of questions about how a young Zu…Lee ended up in Ba Sing Se and you shall get those answers in due time.  
> Word Origins:  
> Wenshu = adapted from Chinese word for literature. In context of the story it’s a curse word for the more offensive version of “crap”.  
> Huotian = adapted and combined Chinese words for fire and day. In context of the story, it is the word I am using for Sunday.  
> Dira-fu = adapted and combined Chinese word for enemy and slut. In context of the story it means “Fire Nation slut”.


	2. The Original

_Any form of artistic material (ie. paintings, poems, plays, street performances, etc.) must not make any reference to the following:_

_1) The Dai Li_

_2) Our Glorious Earth King (past or present)_

_Artistic material may be seized by the Dai Li at any time if there is concern that such material would be harmful to Ba Sing Se citizens._

-Dai Li Ordinance #533

* * *

The overpowering smell of yeast was beginning to give Jin a headache. That her dough refused to stop springing back was not helping.

“You must let it rest for longer, Jin.” Her mother came into the back of the bakery after hearing her daughter’s frustrated groan all the way from the front of the shop. “Good bread takes patience.”

“Yes, Mama.” Jin’s reply had the slightest hint of sass to it, but her mother said nothing so she continued. “It’s only a few hours until sundown, may I be excused? Gun-Su said he’d take me to The Caravans tonight.” She wiped out a bit of flour stuck to her sleeve only to leave an even bigger spot behind with flour caked hands.

At the sound of the shop’s door opening, her mother turned to see her new customer before waving Jin away. “Go, but wash up first!”

“Thank you, Mama.” Jin called out, already halfway out the backdoor.

Located in the always busy Mien Marketplace, her mother’s bakery never stayed empty for long. Unfortunately for Jin, that meant every other weekend she had to help out at the shop. Even worse was the fact that she was no good at baking.

Jin took after her father, her hands were fast and nimble. Her mother’s were like a pair of badgermoles: blind, but extremely strong. It was with those hands that her mother rose from the slums of the Pinik District all the way to owning one of the most famous bakeries in the entire Lower Ring.

This afforded Jin’s family relative comfort. Despite the terrible reputation of the Lower Ring, not all buildings there were crumbling straw shacks. True, her house could not compare to those found in the Middle Ring and was entirely dwarfed by the mansions in the Upper Ring, but they were much better off than most of Jin’s friends.

One of these relative comforts was that she had her own room and the house even had its own bathroom. Most Lower Ring citizens were forced to use communal bath houses as the brilliant minds behind the city decided it would be a great way to save space. Those “geniuses” probably didn’t think it would smell quite so awful though.

After pushing and shoving her way through the throng of people rushing to one shop or the other, Jin got back home and was in the bath in a flash. Not even bothering to heat up the water, she scrubbed herself in record time and was changing into her favorite pale green dress before long. Only bothering with a simple ponytail, she smiled at her appearance in the mirror before going to her room to grab her sketchbook. Sitting atop her faithful companion was a note.

_Sorry Little Sparrow, got called onto the base. Won’t be able to make it tonight._

Jin’s face dropped after she read her brother’s message. The Caravans only came by the Lower Ring once every few years and this might be her last shot to see them before they left. She’d be much too busy with school to go see them during the week and they never stayed in one location for long. One of her many inspirations, The Caravans were a travelling group of artists who went all across the Earth Kingdom sharing their gifts with everyone.

There was no way Jin could go by herself, the group had set up in the Panqu District which was over an hour away by train. Her parents would never let her go that far by herself.

With a heavy sigh and a dramatic flop onto her bed, Jin opened her sketch book and began flipping through it. Tonight, she was supposed to buy her first actual canvas; she’d been saving money for what felt like forever and finally had enough.

After setting the book down, Jin was hit by inspiration quite literally. Light coming in through the window partially blinding her reminded Jin that with winter finally over, the Macu birds would be returning to Ba Sing Se.

The disappointment in her previous plans dissipated quickly as she took the stairs two at a time and was out her front door, sketchbook in hand. The Macu bird loved feeding off worms so Jin ran to the closest park to her house, Grand Crystals Park.

When she finally arrived at the small park, a rare sight was indeed awaiting her. One boy was pinned by three others while a fourth was just about to bring his fist down on the helpless boy. There were also two others that looked close to joining in soon.

“Get off of him!” Jin surprised herself with how forceful her voice sounded. All eyes were suddenly on her and she realized she recognized all of them but the helpless boy.

“Stay out of this, Jin!” Hu-Tor shot her a glare, although the menacing effect it was meant to have was not very effective. His nose was bleeding profusely and with each word his crooked nostrils made a whistling noise.

 _Not so helpless after all,_ Jin thought to herself with a sly smile at the pinned boy. Deciding to push her luck, Jin found that same forceful voice and continued. “I wonder what Headmaster Kaepor would say if he found out you were picking fights. Remind me Hu-Tor, who was close to getting suspended for cheating on last month’s exams?”

Any response he may have had died with Jin’s words. Suspensions went on your permanent file as a demerit and after only three of those you would no longer be permitted to attend any school. Options were limited to those who did graduate, Jin couldn’t imagine what life would be like without a schooling certificate.

One unintelligible grunt of command later and Hu-Tor led his lackeys out of the park. Jin gave their backs a crooked look for a second before rushing to help the still lying down boy.

“Ow.” He closed his eyes in pain after Jin accidentally placed a hand to his injured ribs in her eagerness.

“Sorry!” Jin replied with a gasp. “Can I help you sit up?”

The boy gave her a dismissive wave before struggling to his knees. “Ouch.” He wheezed out.

“Yeah, cause that was so much easier.” Jin’s sarcastic reply saw him frowning.

The frown broke and the boy pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. Thank you for getting me out of that.”

“You’re welcome.” Jin smiled at him and offered her hand which he shook after a moment. “I’m Jin.”

“Lee.”

“Creative parents, huh?” Her wit and smile showed she was kidding around. “Are you new around here? I haven’t seen you before.”

For the briefest moment, Jin thought she saw pain behind his gorgeous golden eyes, but then he gave a small smile and the moment passed. Lee certainly did not look like the typical Lower Ring boy she had come to expect. Boys her age were almost certainly covered in dirt and had messy brown hair; Lee was pale and his hair was black as night.

“Yes.” Lee said in answer to her question. He was very deliberate with his speech as well.

Jin was never one to be deterred from meeting new people no matter what though. “Are you going to be attending Jieben School?” He looked puzzled for a brief second before nodding. “Me too! Who’s your teacher?”

“Uhh…” Lee looked around nervously, not used to this kind of attention from a kid his own age.

“Well… how old are you?” Jin tried another approach.

“Ten.”

“Me too!” She repeated in that same excited tone. “That means we’ll be in the same class; I’ll show you around tomorrow. Now come on, let’s get you home.”

He bowed his head like she was some kind of highborn lady and she resisted the urge to giggle. “Thank you, Jin. That will be unnecessary however, I can find my own way home.”

“The Lower Ring can be confusing to first timers. I don’t want you getting lost, now come on.” Not taking no for an answer, Jin was already on her feet and tugging at Lee’s hands.

He was unsure why he went along with it, especially considering his house was literally just down the street, but he didn’t want to disappoint the first person who had shown him kindness in the Lower Ring. Lee nodded in confirmation and Jin began dragging him down the street.

“That shop has the best hats!”

“That building over there is where you get your papers stamped to go between rings.”

“I saw an escaped tigerdillo down that alley once!”

Jin seemed to have a tidbit about every single nondescript location that they passed. It wasn’t until she had just finished telling Lee about the nearby train station that she realized with embarrassment that she had no idea where Lee lived.

“Um, where is your house?” Jin asked with a sheepish grin.

Lee looked at her with quite a bewildered stare, she might have been the strangest and most friendly girl he’d ever met. He pointed to his house which was just a few buildings down. “Right there.”

Before Lee even realized what was happening, Jin had bounded up to the door with a joyful skip and knocked at the front door.

“Jin!” He hissed when he caught up to her. “What are you-”

The front door swung open before he could finish his sentence. In the doorway stood his father with the world’s must amused smile.

“Oh! I did not realize my son would make friends with such a pretty girl so quickly.” Lee’s father said, bringing about a groan of embarrassment from Lee.

“Thank you, Sir. I was just helping Lee find his way back home.” Jin’s reverenced tone surprised Lee who found himself gawking at her. He clearly did not expect that kind of tonal shift in the chatterbox of a girl who had just been talking his ear off.

“Thank you, Miss?”

“Jin.” She said with a small bow.

“Well, Miss Jin, I was just about to put dinner on the table if you’d like to join us.”

Jin smirked after seeing Lee’s eyes widen in response to his father’s invitation. “I’d love to.”

Lee’s father grinned before gesturing them both to come inside. She almost got through the threshold when a tug on her arm kept her back.

“Don’t tell my father about what happened earlier.” Lee’s message may have sounded like a threat, but he was looking at her with pleading eyes that told a different story.

Jin chewed on her lip nervously before nodding. Lying to adults was never exactly her strong suit. “Ok, but you have to promise not to get into anymore fights. I wasn’t joking, fighting will get you suspended really fast.”

Lee looked inside before sighing. “I won’t.”

Jin flashed a toothy smile before heading inside the house. It was modest, definitely not the best nor the worst house she had seen in the Lower Ring. All the signs of a family having just moved in were still present: no decorations on any walls, furniture not having any time to accumulate dust and many items still sat on the floor waiting to find a new space.

It was when she walked into the kitchen that she spotted it. There was no mistaking that style; no other artist could come close to emulating it.

Jin swallowed the lump in her throat. “Is that… a Rui Yishu work?” She pointed at the framed canvas leaning against the wall waiting to be hanged.

Rui Yishu was the reason Jin had dedicated her being to art. As a special treat for her eighth birthday her father had taken her to a museum in the Upper Ring. While that may not sound like every eight-year old’s dream birthday, Jin had always liked doodling so her father wished to show her some of the best art in all of Ba Sing Se. It was there that she saw Yishu’s most famous ink wash painting, _Man Brings Life_. She fell in love with it instantly and would have stared at it all day if not for her father forcing her to see more of the museum. For the past two years Jin gathered every bit of information she could to better study the man’s style.

“Good eye, Jin.” Lee’s father chuckled as he leaned down to pick up the painting. “Tell me, how did you recognize it was one of Yishu’s?”

Lee rolled his eyes, although Jin could not figure out why. Perhaps he just didn’t care much for art.

Jin tapped on her chin as she studied the painting closer. It depicted a crying woman sat in front of a fire; her long flowing hair being blown gently by unseen wind. “Well… the shading on her hair was the biggest giveaway. Only Yishu can achieve such detail without overindulging in ink. And there at the base of the fire, there is his signature use of just a bit of color. It’s always so subtle, but the effect is incredible. I can feel the warmth radiating from it.”

“Very good, Jin. You must be a talented artist to be able to pick up on such things.” Lee’s father complimented her.

“I thank you, Sir, but I merely sketch.” Jin bowed deeply at the compliment. “Although, I do hope to attend Ba Sing Se University one day and become an artist.”

“A girl with great ambition.”

Jin’s cheeks flushed at the praise. “Um… forgive me, Sir, I do not wish to insult you, but how did you get one of Jishu’s pieces? I’ve only seen them in the Upper Ring.”

“Ah,” Lee’s father began with a mischievous smile. “That’s a very simple explanation. I am Rui Yishu.”

Jin gaped at the man in wonder. All intelligible thoughts left her brain as she looked wide eyed between the painting, Lee, and his apparently famous artist father. “Uhhh…I-I…uh.” Before she could embarrass herself further, Jin lowered her head in another bow. “It is a great honor to meet you, Master Yishu.” She managed to squeak out weakly.

Rui placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Please Jin, there is no need for that. Call me Rui.”

“Um, ok.” She glanced around the kitchen; her feet suddenly made of stone. “I can’t believe I’m standing in Rui Yishu’s home.”

Lee groaned while his father merely chuckled. Before Jin could gush any longer, Lee decided to interject. “You two can talk about how much Jin loves you later, I’m starving.”

Rui remembered his original intent and after setting the painting back down, led Jin to sit at the table. With the slightest shake of his fingers, he served both kids a simple dish of rice and fish before sitting down himself and indulging Jin’s many questions about his art.


	3. School

_Any Lower Ring Ba Sing Se resident under the age of ten must be enrolled in a schooling program or enroll in mandatory volunteer community service._

-Dai Li Ordinance #765

* * *

Lee awoke just a few moments before dawn. Even without his unfailing inability to keep his eyes shut when he felt the sun's warmth on him, the existential dread kept him from any sort of good rest. He buried his face in his palms and seriously considered faking an illness, pointless as that may be since Lee was such a poor liar.

Dinner with Jin had actually been nice the previous night. Her enthusiasm had brought life back into the household for the first time since they found out about their move to the Lower Ring. Although Lee had been mostly ignored while Jin and his father gushed about their shared love, Lee wouldn't trade his father's first genuine smile in quite a while for anything in the world.

The lively meal could only keep him distracted for so long and now there was no more denying his situation as reality. Not even bothering to draw the thin curtains, Lee rubbed at his eyes before slowly getting dressed in the dark. A large wardrobe of nice clothes had been one of the first non-essentials they sacrificed in their old lives, so Lee was left with only a small selection of overly itchy cotton pants and shirts to choose from.

The smell of breakfast wafted through the cracks of his door just as he finished tying his hair back. Lee forced himself through the door and sat at the table without a word to his father.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine." His father's good-hearted teasing would normally at least cause Lee to crack a smile, but not on today.

Lee only grunted in response, deliberately not responding for fear of his bad mood souring his words. He knew that this situation wasn't his father's fault; Lee didn't want to lump any more guilt onto him.

Breakfast was a predictably muted affair compared to their previous meal. The pair didn't exchange many words, although that wasn't for lack of trying from Rui. Lee dragged out eating the small bowl of porridge, but it was only a matter of time before his father said those dreaded words.

"Time for you to go to school." Rui rushed his son out the door with all the practiced skills of a parent.

"Hey, Lee!" Jin was waiting just a few feet from the front door, having promised to walk together to school so he wouldn't get lost on his first day. She and his father exchanged a friendly wave and they were off.

The walk to school was much like every other walk Lee was having in the Lower Ring: confusing and filled to the brim with far too many people. Jin navigated through the crowds with such ease, even though none of the other citizens seemed to notice the two short school children. When they weren't squeezing between two people, Jin filled the time talking about how excited she was for Lee to be joining her at school.

Finally, they arrived at the place from Lee's nightmares. The building was not much bigger than any other shop dotting the streets and the only indication that it was a school were the children flocking inside. Not to mention it shared the same uninspired design that ran through the Lower Ring like a plague. Bland stone walls, wooden shutters, and a roof with probably more missing tiles than not.

"Here we are." Jin opened her arms wide as she smiled even more brightly. "You think you'll be able to find your way home this afternoon?"

Lee's eyes widened, he realized how little he had been paying attention on the long walk over. "Uh-"

"Don't worry about it." She cut him off. "I can walk you home as well. Let's head inside."

* * *

Lee's first day at school had actually been going pretty well. His teacher, whose name slipped Lee's memory the second he heard it, was having the class run through some rudimentary arithmetic that Lee had already learned about in a previous year. In fact, all the material was something he had already been taught at his previous school.

Rather than waste his time on something he already knew, Lee spent most of his class time daydreaming and looking over his classmates. Most were in a similar form of disinterest while a much small number, including Jin, took down meticulous notes about anything the teacher droned on about it. This lack of attention would have earned Lee a lashing at his old school, but here he was merely one of many.

It couldn't all be good though. The classroom, which wasn't much bigger than his kitchen, was packed wall to wall with students. Lee's jaw dropped when Jin told him nearly every district in the Lower Ring had its own school to help prevent overcrowding. They didn't even switch classrooms for each subject, instead the students were separated by something as trivial as age. No advanced placements, no extracurricular activities, no outdoors time, just sit at the desk with the other ten-year-old children and do your best to learn something.

Even worse was every time he caught the eye of one of the kids he'd fought with the previous day, they'd glare at him. Lee was sure things would be turning ugly again soon.

His mind wandering the entire day, Lee didn't hear the teacher dismiss the class by mid-afternoon. Jin walked over to his desk and stared down at him with a smirk.

"Anybody home?" She teased and knocked on his desk.

Lee finally took notice of the other students leaving the classroom and shook his head. He gave Jin a sheepish smile. "Sorry, let's go."

With school releasing a few hours before most Lower Ring citizens left work, their walk home was much less crowded. The streets were still packed, but two people could at least walk side by side without too much trouble.

Jin was being unusually quiet so Lee let his mind wander once more. He had gotten through the first day of school easily enough, but he knew that he could only take the tedium of it for so long. He gave serious thought to skipping class in the future, but the only time his teacher actually paid attention to the students was of course the attendance roll call.

"Can I ask you something?" Jin's question brought him back to the dirt packed road. For the first time in the short time since they had met, Jin sounded unsure of herself.

Lee did his best to disregard the wariness he felt at Jin's words. He was still quite not accustomed to someone other than his father actually talking to him this much. He nodded his head in confirmation and she gave a nervous smile.

"Um… don't take this the wrong way, but… um…"

Lee rolled his eyes as she struggled. "Just spit it out, Jin."

She blew out a deep breath to steady herself before trying again. "It's just, your father is a famous artist and I guess I'm a little surprised you guys are living in the Lower Ring."

Lee stopped dead in his tracks; he knew he should've seen this coming by now. Still, he had been expecting a comment like this from those jerks at the park. Coming from Jin made it hurt even more.

Jin's eyes widened as she observed Lee's reaction; instantly realizing her mistake. "Lee, I'm sorry! I was-"

Whatever she was going to say died in the wind as Lee brushed passed her shoulder roughly and continued his walk home by himself. It was a small gift that his father wasn't home, allowing Lee to wallow alone in his room for the rest of the night.

* * *

She was certainly a persistent girl. Lee frowned deeply when he opened the front door to see Jin leaning against a wall across the street. Her drooped head a clear sign of just how long she had been waiting. When they made eye contact Jin flashed him a slight grin, but Lee immediately turned to begin walking down the street without a word.

Jin jogged to catch up to him and fell in line with his fast pace. "Come on, Lee. Can you just wait one second?"

Her incessant tugging at his arm finally got him to stop and with a dramatic sigh he faced her. "What?"

Jin took a deep breath before her eyes dropped to the ground. "I want to apologize for what I said yesterday, it was very insensitive of me. Can we start over as friends?" She met his still icy gaze with a hopeful look of her own, as if his acceptance would make or break her entire life.

Lee noticed Jin's olive green eyes for the first time in that moment. They may have matched several other Earth Kingdom citizens in shade, but he could search through all of Ba Sing Se and not find another pair of eyes that shone in the light quite like hers. Jin wore her emotions on her face, and her eyes told Lee just how sincere she was.

"Sure." He extended a palm that she happily shook in turn. "I'm sorry for the way I acted as well."

With that the pair of them took off for school once more, both too preoccupied with their thoughts to speak.

Lee couldn't quite comprehend why Jin had apologized. Her question may have been a bit hurtful, but he could easily understand her natural curiosity. For some strange reason, he even felt the urge to satisfy that curiosity.

"His art stopped selling."

Jin had been humming, but stopped and looked at him with a perplexed expression. "Your father's?"

Lee nodded his head. "Yeah, that's why we had to move."

Jin didn't press any further and Lee silently thanked her for that. The admission made him feel lighter, even if it was only a half truth.


	4. One Night in Yu Dao

_Any individuals caught harboring enemies of the state will be subject to an immediate arrest. After a thorough investigation, the individual in question may face severe consequences (see ordinance #21 for exact details)._

-Dai Li Ordinance #122

* * *

Crown Prince Iroh sat alone in a booth tucked away in a corner. The clothes he wore were simple, his royal hair piece was gone, and he kept his shoulders slumped while he walked. Not that anyone was looking for the next ruler of the Fire Nation in a nondescript tavern in middle of Yu Dao, but he was not going to be taking any chances.

The door opened and Iroh held his breath in anticipation, only to be disappointed when the stranger took a seat at the bar. His contact was over an hour late and Iroh was on pins and needles. Of course, what were a few short hours versus the eight years he had already spent waiting.

Iroh didn't hear the door open nor did he see the shadow of a man approach his booth before he was already standing at the edge of the table. "Why does the tigerdillo stop at the oasis pond?"

The voice that spoke the callsign was silky smooth and Iroh was taken aback hearing it come from a man with such an imposing stature. "To sample the turtleduck's wisdom." Iroh relayed his own code back to the man who then sat opposite him.

"I apologize for my tardiness, Grand Master. I arrived just a few hours ago." The man explained as he brushed a few raindrops off his sleeves.

"The apology is unwarranted." Iroh replied with his signature defusing nature.

"My congratulations to you, I heard that Lu Ten has earned the rank of General." The man was stalling, and both parties knew it.

"Please, I hate to be hasty, but I must know if your mission was successful." Iroh did his best to keep his tone light, but even he could only be patient for so long.

The man scratched at his chin and avoided Iroh's gaze before speaking. "Try to understand, it has been years-"

"Out with it." Iroh punctuated the demand with an uncharacteristic smack of the table, drawing the attention of a few other patrons.

"I don't think Prince Zuko survived." The man said plainly, finally getting to the point.

Iroh felt his heart fall to his gut, his entire face aged ten years in a mere moment. "I…I see. How did you come to such a conclusion?"

"My investigation was thorough, I can assure you, but unfortunately details fade over time. Our last confirmed sighting of the prince was eight years ago aboard the _Kyun_. As you know, it was a private ship on a voyage commissioned by yourself. Despite its nondescript nature, the ship was assaulted and ultimately sunk somewhere near Spire Rock. That's where my investigation began." The man took out a map of the Earth Kingdom and pointed to the well-known landmark located on the northern shores of the continent.

"Yes, but we know Initiate Ryook and Prince Zuko survived the sinking. I have the letter still sent from Ryook himself." Iroh produced the letter he must've reread a hundred times. It detailed how Ryook was able to navigate the loss of the ship with Prince Zuko in hand. "In the letter he spoke of his plans to travel towards Omashu, although I cannot begin to ascertain why."

"I believe the ship being attacked clouded his judgement, Ryook was a fine member of the order and would not betray you like that."

"I thought the same." Iroh spoke partially under his breath.

"Regardless, Ryook did not take Zuko to Omashu. I spoke with all the residents at the village near Spire Rock and although the shipwreck was nearly a decade ago, one ferryman remembered Ryook and Zuko. In his desperation, Ryook had paid for transport with ten gold pieces, something so peculiar that the man remembered it all these years on."

Iroh scrutinized the map set out on the table in front of him. "Surely the ferryman just took them down the Wei-Dun River towards Omashu."

The man opposite Iroh shook his head. "The ferryman gave me no reason to distrust him, so I believe him when he says Ryook wanted passage to the eastern side of Full Moon Bay. I asked the ferryman is Ryook seemed hurt and he said that beyond a few bumps and scrapes, him and the toddler he was travelling with were fine."

"Were they headed towards Ba Sing Se?" Iroh guessed, seeing as Ba Sing Se was the only reason to be going that far east.

"The ferryman says that Ryook inexplicably turned north once they hit the shores and that was the last he saw of them. There are a few villages in that direction and none of them had seen a pair matching Ryook and Zuko." The man pointed to the collection of dots that represented the farming villages around Ba Sing Se. "That's when I tried calling upon any order members inside Ba Sing Se to search through the immigration records. Those records are expansive, and it took many weeks, but nothing turned up."

Iroh swallowed his breath. "Then… how can you be sure of their demise?"

The man gave a Iroh a sad smile. "Grand Master, this is the third such investigation you've asked for, and it's been eight years. I'm afraid it's the only conclusion there is. The forces that attacked that ship most likely weren't random, and I can only guess they caught up with Ryook."

For a while Iroh said nothing. It had been what he had expected to hear. After all, for all his bouts of whimsy and carefree attitude, Iroh was also a reasonable man. When he did finally speak again, his voice came out like a pained croak. "And what of your other assignment?"

The man shook his head. "Ursa disappeared after her escape, and I mean really disappeared. It's like she went up in smoke. Whether she is alive or dead, I don't think anyone could say. I can't believe she would put Zuko at risk like that, what in Agni was she thinking? That…" He trailed off as he realized the rant was beginning to border on treason. "Apologies, Iroh. That is no way to speak of the former Fire Lady."

Iroh disarmed the man with a smile. "I ask myself that same question."

"For what it's worth, I think you made the right decision with Zuko, even if didn't work out. There's no telling what Ozai would've done."

The sentiment had no effect on Iroh, long having accepted his choice and the aftermath of that fateful night. He rose in one motion and bowed to the man. "I thank you, but I must set off for the Caldera immediately. My father wishes to see me."

Not bothering to wait for the man to return the bow, Iroh exited the tavern swiftly and into the rain.


	5. Meet the Parents

_All males must sign up for the draft immediately upon their sixteenth birthday. If an individual is fortunate enough to be selected to the Earth King’s Military, they will be subject for anywhere between two and ten years of service._

-Dai Li Ordinance #13

* * *

A few weeks passed by and Lee had to begrudgingly admit that he was beginning to grow accustomed to his new life in the Lower Ring. School was still as easy as it was painfully boring. He desperately missed all the extra-curricular activities he used to attend, but he did find that he was enjoying his newfound free time.

Today, on a particularly warm day, Lee found himself sitting against a tree desperately clinging to the last of its shade before the afternoon sun was directly overhead. His chest heaved slowly as the warmth was putting him to sleep.

“Are we going to sit here all day?” Jin said from beside him, her breath tickling at his neck as she turned to speak to him. She had become a near constant fixture in his life and Lee couldn’t really remember how that happened. Not that he minded, Jin was very easy to be around.

“Mmm.” Lee didn’t bother to open his eyes before giving the non-answer, very content to do nothing.

Jin had taken him to Pa-Po Park, a favorite spot amongst Lower Ring residents for its stark contrast to the rest of the ring. It was situated on a large hill which allowed multi-tiered paths to snake through the thick greenery that grew in the surprisingly fertile soil. The miles long walk to get here had certainly been worth it, the park rivalled even those found in the Upper Ring.

Jin blew an exasperated breath out of her nostrils before leaning her head back against the tree. Used to her own busy household where nobody stopped moving for a second, Jin could not help but feel antsy after too long. To stave off the boredom, she studied Lee’s face from the corner of her eye. The boy’s sharp angular face had always fascinated her artistic side, she was far too used to the chubby round faces of most boys her age. Throwing caution to the wind, she pulled her sketch book from her bag and turned back towards Lee.

“Stay still, ok?” She spoke with a slight hitch in her voice.

Lee’s right eye opened slightly to look at her. “Why?” He asked in a bewildered tone.

“I’m gonna sketch you.” Jin replied as nonchalantly as she could before pulling a sharp stick of charcoal from her case.

“What?” Lee was fully awake now as he raised up on his palms to be more upright. He stared at her curiously as she smiled back widely. “Why do you want to do that?”

Jin just shrugged. “You have an interesting face.” She said as if she was commenting on the weather.

“Thanks?” Lee cocked an eyebrow, unsure what the word “interesting” meant in this context.

“It’s a good thing!” Jin gave a cheeky grin before continuing in a much softer tone. “It’s beautiful.”

The two of them were an instant competition to see whose cheeks could burn brighter. Lee coughed and turned away, no longer able to handle Jin’s gaze.

“Umm… sure.” He finally found his voice and surprised both of them by agreeing. “What should I do?”

“Just lean back and close your eyes like you were before.” She pushed him back against the tree gently before repositioning herself to be directly in front of him.

For a few minutes the only sounds that could be heard was that of the charcoal gliding across the page. Lee opened his eyes just a crack to watch Jin as she went back and forth between glancing at him and returning to her work. The warmth that had once enveloped him like a blanket now made him itchy and uncomfortable. It took everything in his power to not squirm.

“We can talk if that helps.” Jin said. As always, she was extremely perceptive to those around her and in turn always offered to help. “Just don’t move your mouth too much.”

Lee clamped his eyes shut, Jin’s studious stare was about to bring on another blush. “Ok,” He spoke through barely parted lips. “What should we talk about?”

Unseen to him, Jin rolled her eyes, he was never one to get conversation going. “What do you miss about living in the Upper Ring?”

The subject of his former home would’ve once sent Lee retreating into himself, but Jin had carefully chosen her spots and managed to find the formula for not upsetting him. Lee furrowed his brow as he considered the question.

Jin smacked him lightly on the hand. “No moving your eyebrows! I’m doing those now.”

Lee grumbled something unintelligible before responding. “I miss my dao sword training.”

“You were training with swords?” The high pitch in Jin’s voice told how much this surprised her.

“Just wooden practice ones mostly.” Lee explained, concentrating much harder on not moving his face. “Although on occasion my teacher would let me use the real ones.”

“But why?” Jin couldn’t begin to fathom what an Upper Ring kid was supposed to do with sword training.

Lee resisted the strong temptation to shrug. “I wanted to learn to fight and my dad took me to all sorts of different classes, the dao swords really excited me.” He thought of his next words carefully before speaking again. “There are a lot of… choices available in the Upper Ring.”

“Must be rough.” Jin said with a small laugh. “What even are dao swords? Aren’t all swords just… swords?”

Lee bit back his smile. “No, there are all sorts of different types. Dao swords are curved and are more like one sword cut in half, they are very difficult to use. I had been training with them for two years and was just getting beyond the basics.”

“Can’t you practice with the swords still on your own?”

“We had to sell the pair my dad bought me for my birthday when we moved.” Lee spoke in that same sad tone that usually accompanied his longing for his former life.

“Oh.” It was one of those rare times that Jin didn’t know what to say.

The pair returned to silence for a few more minutes as Jin continued to sketch, her left hand getting dirtier as she gripped the charcoal more tightly for the intricate detailing of Lee’s eyes.

“It isn’t all bad though.” Lee spoke without prompting for one of the first times since they met each other. “Living in the Lower Ring I mean. My father was always too busy with his classes or shows when we lived in the Upper Ring, so I didn’t get to spend much time with him. We are hanging out more than I could ever remember now.” He chanced a quick peek at her before lowering his voice to a whisper. “Plus… well…”

Jin prodded him with her foot. “Don’t mumble.”

Lee opened his eyes fully to capture Jin’s gaze, who frowned at the sudden movement from her subject. Before she could object, he fought back his nerves and spoke. “I didn’t really have any friends in the Upper Ring. It wasn’t really encouraged at my old school to hang out with the other kids. We were told we there to learn, not socialize. So… I’m glad we’re friends.”

Jin caught herself from showing her surprise. Lee may not be the most talkative person in the world, but to spend his entire life without a single friend must’ve been miserable. She placed her sketchbook down for a second before rubbing his knee. “I’m glad we’re friends too.”

* * *

“Do you want to have dinner with my family tonight?”

They had gotten back to their district when Jin posed the question. It was just before sunset by the time they got back after having spent the entire day at the park. Lee had never spent any time at Jin’s house or had even met her parents or her brother she mentioned on occasion, a fact he hadn’t even realized until now.

His father was not much of worrier, his whimsical and carefree attitude bred over years of dropping everything just to capture the perfect landscape, so Lee knew he could easily agree without fear of repercussion. Despite this, Lee couldn’t help but hesitate for a reason he couldn’t quite place. One look at Jin’s face though and he was doomed.

She was staring at him with a half-smile, her round olive-green eyes aglow as the last of the sun’s rays framed her face. Lee knew that if he said no her face would fall for a moment before she quickly recovered in a manner unique only to Jin. The thought of it made him swallow his breath.

“Sure.” Lee finally responded after a beat and Jin’s half smile turned into a full-on grin.

“Great! You’re going to love Gun-Su, he’s a total stick in the mud like you.” She said cheekily as she skipped away.

“Hey!” Lee called after her before jogging to keep up.

The two of them giggled as they weaved in between the crowded Lower Ring streets, both competing in an unofficial race despite Lee not even knowing where the finish line was located. He chased after Jin as her ponytail and bag bounced rhythmically behind her.

By the time Jin stopped outside one of the nicer homes dotting the Lower Ring, they were both panting for air and smiling at one another.

“Who knew you could have fun?” Jin continued her teasing before smoothing out the ruffles of her dress.

Lee stuck his tongue out at her. “Next time we race, I get to choose the finish line.”

Jin gave a dramatic yawn. “Oh, was that a race? I hadn’t noticed.” She didn’t allow time for a retort before slipping a key out from her bag and opening the front door of the house.

Lee followed her inside into a modestly sized foyer that opened to the rest of the home. The outside was no illusion, the house was certainly nicer than most Lower Ring buildings Lee had set foot in. It would stick out like a sore thumb in the Upper Ring or even just the Middle Ring, but it was immediately evident that Jin’s family were not struggling to survive like so many others.

“Jin!” A woman’s voice called out from around the far corner. “Get upstairs and wash up, we are waiting on you.”

Jin gave a small embarrassed smile to Lee before responding. “Mama, I brought a guest.”

There was a noise of something scuffing against the wooden floor followed by rapid footsteps before Jin’s mother appeared from the corner. Despite looking just the tiniest bit flustered, Lee could immediately see the resemblance between Jin and her mother. They both shared the same deep green eyes, although her mother’s were more pointed than Jin’s. The largest similarity was the confident stride with which both mother and daughter seemed to have perfected without even trying. Anyone instantly knew when either of them entered a room.

Jin’s mother was upon Lee in an instant, glancing over him with an appraising gaze masked only slightly by her welcoming smile. The fact that she had specks of flour in her tightly bound brown hair made her no less intimidating. It took everything in Lee’s power to not swallow the breath he was holding.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am. I am Lee Yishu.” He spoke with a deep bow after a few tense seconds of her staring down at him. Jin, with a small smirk tugging at her lips, was enjoying the scene far too much to introduce him.

“Well you’re far too polite to be hanging around my daughter.” She clearly taught Jin that same teasing tone. Her shoulders relaxed and Lee let out the breath he’d still been holding. She returned his bow with a small one of her own. “I am Tien, welcome to our home.”

“Is Gun-Su home yet?” Jin asked, barely containing her excitement.

“He is already washed up and waiting for dinner, unlike you.” Tien gave her daughter a pointed look. “And look at your dress, it’s covered in dirt! Were you two digging with badger moles all day? Off to the bath, now.”

“But Mama, Lee is here.” Jin protested as she crossed her arms.

“And he will be there when you finish. We will entertain our guest while you make yourself presentable.” Tien shooed Jin off who retreated upstairs with only the slightest grumble. “Lee, come with me and allow me to introduce you to the rest of my family.”

She guided Lee with a hand between his shoulder blades until they were standing at the threshold of the dining room. Sat at the head of the rectangular table was undoubtedly Jin’s father, while her brother Gun-Su was sat beside him. Both were still engaged in conversation but turned when Tien cleared her throat.

“This is Jin’s new friend, Lee Yishu.” She placed both hands on Lee’s shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. “Lee, this is my husband Siyu and my son, Gun-Su.”

Both men bowed their heads in greeting which Lee returned. As he sat down, he took a quick chance to study each of them. Siyu appeared to be a few years older than his wife and had a thin layer of fat obscuring what was once a no doubt imposing stature. The only wrinkles on his face were caused by smiling though as evidenced by the wide grin he was flashing Lee. Jin had that same smile. Gun-Su was like looking back at time, the spitting image of his father with broad shoulders and muscles bulging from his arms.

“I am honored to meet you. Jin speaks highly of all of you.” Lee said as he took the offered seat to Gun-Su’s left.

Tien excused herself to go tend to the finish of dinner and check on Jin. Siyu wasted no time before leaning forward in his seat and grinning even wider. “Jin has been spending a lot of time with you Lee, you must be good company.”

“Thank you, sir.” Lee said while keeping his eyes slightly downcast.

Siyu’s stomach gave the slightest jiggle as he laughed. “I won’t accept being called ‘sir’, I’m not that old yet.”

“Of course.” Lee said with a nervous chuckle before continuing. “Your name… Siyu, are you named after the legendary Taku king?”

Both Gun-Su and Siyu’s eyes widened slightly in surprise and shared a look. Siyu nodded before speaking. “A learned man, I can always appreciate someone who knows their history well. My grandfather was on King Siyu’s council and was forced to flee with my father to Ba Sing Se after the fall of Taku. The King had a profound effect on him clearly.”

“History is my favorite subject.” Lee stated proudly. “I did a report on Taku last year for school. I can’t believe the Fire Nation brought it to ruin.”

“A great shame indeed.” Siyu replied before clapping his hands together. “No use worrying about a past we can’t change though, let’s celebrate what we have. Tell us about yourself, Lee. Jin said your father is a painter?”

Lee couldn’t help but to give a small frown, praying it wasn’t noticeable to the other two at the table. “He… is.” He settled on the vague answer before changing the subject quickly. “What do you do, sir- I mean Siyu? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Gun-Su shared another look with his father before the latter responded. “I work in customs; I’ve been processing hundreds of people into Ba Sing Se for the last twenty-five years. Some may call it boring, but I think it keeps me sharp.”

“Everyone would call it boring.” Gun-Su cut in. “I am an earthbender in the 21st Division of the Outer Wall Army.”

Lee thought he picked up on the slightest bit of a threat behind Gun-Su’s words, but he had that same calming smile of the rest of the family. Before he could dwell on it for any length of time, Siyu interjected. “Lee, you said your family name was Yishu, correct?”

Lee held in the pained groan, all too used to the endless praised lumped onto him for having a semi-famous father. He found it the least bit strange he hadn’t minded as much when Jin found out. “Yes, I did. Why do you ask?” Lee said innocently, not wanting to give away the truth that easily.

Siyu scratched at his head in thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Never mind, I must be mistaken.”

Before Lee could question the cryptic message, Tien reentered the room carrying two covered dishes before setting them on the table.

“Jin will be down in just a minute, wait for her before eating.” She shot her husband a warning glance.

Jin came bouncing in the room a few moments later and the meal began. Lee struggled to keep up with the fast-paced conversation the family was clearly accustomed to, but enjoyed the chaotic energy in the household all the same.

* * *

The meal with Jin’s family was certainly a lively affair. Various dishes of rice and fish were passed around at such a rapid pace it nearly gave Lee whiplash just trying to keep up. Everyone in the family had quite an appetite and dinner would’ve seen more like a contest than a nice gathering if not for the constant conversation going around the table. They did their best to keep Lee engaged in each one, but Lee was beginning to think he just couldn’t handle a family as outgoing as Jin for too long.

Afterwards, Jin had volunteered to walk Lee home. A now pointless endeavor considering how well Lee was learning the streets of the Lower Ring, but neither of them seemed to want to voice this obvious fact.

“I don’t think your brother likes me.” Lee said as he walked behind Jin as they both balanced on an elevated retaining wall.

Jin turned to give him a strange look, nearly losing her balance before catching herself. “Gun-Su likes everyone, you’re just being weird.”

Lee couldn’t agree less; it may not be evident to Jin but there was a certain rigidness that showed every time the older boy addressed him directly. It wasn’t that he needed or even wanted everyone to like him, but he was used to at least knowing why he made someone upset. He couldn’t think of anything that would’ve set Gun-Su off.

“You want to see that sketch I did of you?” Jin asked after jumping off the wall with a small twirl.

After having left the park earlier, Lee hadn’t asked to see it and Jin hadn’t offered. He didn’t find anything particularly strange about that having never had his image captured before, not even by his father.

Looking back on in it now though he did recall the burning curiosity he felt in the moment as he spied Jin through nearly closed eyes, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth as she stared with such intent at the paper in front of her she could make a statue blink. He had no idea what could enrapture her so much that it looked as though she had to physically remind herself to breathe. His appearance, by his own admittance, was nothing special after all.

When Lee nodded his head it seemed to surprise Jin, as if she made the offer more as a courtesy and never expected him to actually accept it. With all the speed of a turtle seal she took her bag off her shoulders and reached inside to pull out her sketchbook. She flipped through it until she found the one from the afternoon and pulled it tight to her chest to obscure it.

“Just remember it isn’t finished, ok?” Jin had never sounded less confident before handing the book over to Lee.

He didn’t understand what was making her so nervous. Lee may have been the son of artist, but he didn’t possess a single creative bone in his body. Needless to say, he was in no position to judge someone else’s creation.

He turned the book around to face him and what he saw surprised him. Since he could talk his dad had been taking him to art shows and galleries trying to get his son to appreciate art more. All the paintings, sculptures, woven tapestries, and everything else that could fall under the broad umbrella that was the word “art” all looked as if they could have been made by the same person. That wasn’t to say they weren’t distinct or unique, but rather Lee wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a painter’s masterpiece and what some university student created in a half hour.

Staring at Jin’s sketch of himself though and he could finally admit how wrong he was. Jin’s art was that of a student still, good but still with many years of practice until mastery. Lee’s appraisal came with no judgement though, the sketch was incredibly well done given how short a time she spent on it and he was certain he could spend ten times longer and not produce something half as good. Jin was unrefined talent just begging to be taught, even Lee could see that.

Suddenly aware of Jin’s hopeful stare boring a hole into him, Lee closed the sketchbook with a smile and handed it back to her. “It’s amazing, Jin.” He said earnestly. “Are you taking any lessons?” He never realized how little they had talked about her art before now, the subject always having been more a shared one between her and his dad. Lee didn’t want to intrude but now just couldn’t help himself.

Jin put the book back in her bag and rubbed at her forearm nervously. “Thanks, but there’s no specialized schools like that in the Lower Ring. You have to know someone if you want to get teaching down here.”

Lee gave her a funny look. “But you do know someone.”

She gave him a strange glance before realization dawned on her. “I couldn’t ask your father to do that. I just draw for fun, but he’s a real artist.”

Something in her tone made his heart drop to his stomach and he would do anything to squash the feeling. “Jin, you’re like his favorite person. He may like you even more than he likes me. You just have to ask him.”

Jin bit the inside of her cheek and smiled at him. “Thanks Lee.” She surprised him with a quick hug before jumping back just as quickly. “And he’s right to do it.”

Lee turned his head. “What?”

A wicked smirk fell on her lips and she lightly smacked his arm before responding. “Liking me more than you.”

She took off running and he chased her all the way back home, both nearly screaming with laughter.


	6. Gold Eyed Boy

_Public protests of any kind are not permitted within one hundred feet of a government building, marketplace, school, factory, or fountain. Designated protesting areas can be found at your local Dai Li Information Center._

-Dai Li Ordinance #638

* * *

Jin had been studying under Rui's tutelage for the past month and was astounded by how much she had improved with a proper teacher. He had accepted her as a student as soon as the words left her mouth and she now spent three afternoons a week after school learning from the man. Despite Rui's reputation as an ink wash artist exclusively, art was so ingrained in his life that he had no trouble teaching Jin about charcoal work.

Lee stuck around for the first few lessons, but he soon grew bored of hearing what he called "artsy-talk". Instead he read quietly at the kitchen table, only occasionally chiming in to let the other two he still existed.

This particular lesson was grating on Jin though; she growled out in frustration after failing to get the correct shading for what felt like the hundredth time.

"This is impossible!" Jin buried her head in her palms. In her anger she seemed to have forgotten the mess left behind with charcoal, so her face was smeared black when she pulled her hands away, eliciting barely stifled laughter from Lee. She glared right at him. "What's so funny?"

Rui gave a small frown before wiping Jin's face with a washcloth. "Perhaps it would be best if we called it an afternoon."

Jin scrunched her nose before shaking her head. "No, I can do it. Maybe if you showed me first? Just so I can see how I should be holding the charcoal."

At the mention of his father demonstrating, Lee dropped his book to the table. Jin stared at him, he looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

"I-I think he's right Jin, we should get you home before your parents get worried." Lee's voice came out as a series of high-pitched squeaks.

Jin gave him a strange look, they both knew her parents didn't expect her back until later. Besides, they never worried when she was hanging out with Lee. "What are you talking about? I've only been here an hour."

Rui cleared his throat to bring attention back to him. "We've been in this stuffy room for too long. Jin, why don't you take Lee to buy a new canvas in the Fabon District? My treat of course." His tone was off as well, although he hid it much better than his son.

"Sure." Jin drawled the word out slightly as she looked back at forth between father and son, trying to figure out exactly what had just transpired.

Rui was all too happy to shove them out the door, nearly having to toss the sack of coins at them when he remembered his promise. Jin missed the worried look that Lee tossed over his shoulder back at his father just before the door shut.

"Well," Jin started with a shrug. "I guess let's get going."

"Sure." Lee responded all too eagerly before grabbing at her wrist to drag her along.

They'd have to take the train, something that would normally turn Lee's mood instantly sour. Out of all the small inconveniences that made up life in the Lower Ring, having to travel by train was one that always sent Lee into a string of familiar complaints. The pair had only been on the train a handful of times together and she already knew every word he'd say before he said them.

_"Does it have to be so bumpy?"_

_"How do they even fit so many people into one car?"_

_"I think that's my second splinter from the bench this ride. Did they even sand this wood?"_

That last one always brought a smile to the Jin's face any time she thought of it. Lee never seemed to be able to shake that Upper Ring upbringing and could never wrap his mind around the fact that most Lower Ring citizens were far too busy with their lives to care about a slightly uncomfortable train ride.

Personally, she loved the train. Being able to see nearly the entire city from high up on those stilted platforms was a sight she would always soak in, reveling in every new small detail she noticed with each ride.

They were halfway to the station when the normally crowded market square turned into an impassable mass of people, shouts descending from all around them. It was evident from the buzz going through the crowd though that this was not caused by some merchant gone mad giving away gold bars, but something else entirely. Jin's curiosity was burning and when Lee tugged at her to go around the square, she pulled him back and began worming their way through the mass of people in a way only children their size could.

They reached the center of the square and were able to watch what was happening by standing on an abandoned fruit stall. There was a group of around eight men and women shouting about something that Jin couldn't quite discern over the crowd around her.

"Jin, we should get out of here." Lee tugged at her sleeve as he looked around nervously.

Just before she could respond a hush fell over the crowd and one part of it opened like the seas parting. Six Dai Li agents entered the square in a way only the secret police of Ba Sing Se could. Lee stiffened beside her and Jin could feel her own heart beginning to beat out of her chest. Suddenly leaving was her top priority but they were completely blocked in as the people around them remained as still as statues.

"You are in violation of Dai Li Ordinance number 638: there are to be no public protests within one hundred feet of a market. Please stand down now." One of the agents in the center addressed the apparent protesters. There was no trouble hearing everything now, the crowd was staying at a deathly silence.

"Not until you deal with the racism in this city!" The de facto leader of the protesters said, a thin man with jet black hair.

"If you do not comply, all of you will be subject to arrest and processing at the nearest Dai Li Information Center." The agent replied as if he hadn't even heard the words.

The other man turned to address the crowd. "My shop has been vandalized twice in the past six months. We may be of Fire Nation descent, but do not hold us responsible for the actions of that lunatic Fire Lord. My daughter's classmates broke her arm when they found out she was from the colonies. She's eight for Spirit's sake!"

Nails dug into Jin's palm and it took her a moment to realize that it was Lee who was gripping her hand so tightly his knuckles had gone white. A memory of their classmate Hu-Tor teasing Lee for his appearance on occasion came back to her mind and instantly she understood.

There were whispers of surprise throughout the crowd over the man's pleas, but as was often the case throughout history, the dumbest of the crowd spoke the loudest.

"You and your dira-fu daughter can burn for all I care!"

Jin couldn't pick out which of the hundreds of faces yelled the insult, but it seemed to matter little now. The words seemed to embolden other racists in the crowd and the air grew thick with tension.

Lee squeezed her hand even tighter. "We gotta get out of here, Jin."

She nodded her head, not fully trusting her ability to speak as her throat had suddenly gone completely dry. They had just hopped off the fruit stand when chaos descended upon the square.

Later, when chronicling the events of that fateful day, sources would all disagree on what exactly started the riot. The Dai Li put out a statement the following day that a minor misunderstanding had led to negligible damage to an undisclosed amount of properties. A bulletin printed by an unknown group that would be plastered all over the Lower Ring in a month's time blamed the entire thing on a firebender provoking the crowd with huge walls of fire. Only in the crowd by happen stance, a Ba Sing Se University student wrote a paper how this day was the spark of revolution. Of course, they got a failing grade when they wrongfully assumed the entire protest was about a group of Lower Ring seamstresses rising up against the growing cost of silk.

In the moment, it mattered next to nothing what had caused this sudden explosion of people pushing, cursing, and fighting each other. For Jin and Lee, they would have to survive first in order to tell their own tale.

The towering giants around her passed by in a blur as Jin was dragged through them by Lee, his grip on her hand so tight you'd have to use a crowbar to break them apart. With eyes in the back of his head, Lee pulled her out of the way of so many people crashing to the ground around them that she lost count.

When they finally broke free of the mass of people they were in an all-out sprint, but their luck wouldn't keep. Lee took her down an alley to catch their breath and that proved to be a mistake.

"I see you! You little fire breathing piece of wenshu!" The voice came from a pudgy man who was now blocking the only way out of the alley.

As he began to descend upon them, Lee pushed Jin further back in the alley until her back hit the wall. "Stay behind me." He warned without looking at her trembling face.

Jin no longer had the capacity to speak, her legs were shaking so badly that it felt like the whole world was shaking in tune with her. She swallowed the hard lump in her throat as the man had closed the distance and took a mean swing right at Lee's head.

Lee dodged it easily by running between the man's legs and before he could even turn around, Lee slammed a foot into the back of his knee. The man bellowed in pain as he fell to one knee and steadied himself with a hand against the wall.

Fury fueled his next move as he blindly dove at Lee, managing to catch the boy's ankle and bring him to the ground. The move was not thought out very well though, Lee used his free foot to kick the man right in his nose. He howled loudly as he gripped his bloody nose with one hand before rising to his full height once more.

Instincts took over Jin as she grabbed a wooden board off the ground and approached the man swiftly. "Hey!" Her shout surprised all three of them as the man turned to look at him.

With abilities seemingly impossible for a boy his age, Lee seized the moment and climbed up the man's back before perching himself on his shoulders. Lee wrapped his legs around the man's neck and covered his eyes before signaling Jin with a nod. She wasted no time before swinging the board between the man's legs, he crumpled to the ground after the direct hit to his groin.

"Come on!" Lee grabbed her hand again and they began sprinting away once more.

By now, the riot had spread beyond the market and fighting was taking place all up and down the street. Luckily, this time nobody seemed to pay them any mind and they managed to make it five blocks before both of them were too exhausted to continue.

Against their better judgement, they chose another alley to recuperate.

"Good… hit…" Lee managed to get out in between breathes. Jin smiled brightly at him as her chest heaved.

The sound of clapping from the front of the alley interrupted them. This time a thin man dressed head to toe in black had joined them; a lit tobacco roll illuminated his face from beneath his hood just enough to make out a thick scar on his cheek.

"We really have to stop running into dead ends." Jin half joked as she raised her fists alongside Lee, more than ready to take on whatever challenge this man brought them.

"Relax, kiddos." The man's voice came out smooth as he puffed out a ring of smoke. His hands were held out flat to imply he meant them no harm. "I saw the way you two handled yourselves back there, very impressive."

"What do you want?" Jin sneered at him, feeling Lee bristling with annoyance.

"From you, nothing. No offense, but your hit was more of a right time, right place kind of deal. Not that I didn't like seeing that joker have his family jewels rearranged." He took another puff from his tobacco roll before pointing it at Lee. "You though kid, hoy boy, you got talent. You was seeing everything two steps before it happened, and I know my employer could make use of that sort of skillset."

"And what exactly does your employer want to do with him?" Jin spoke for Lee, she knew exactly what kind of low life they were dealing with. If the Dai Li were the silent specters that stalked the shadows, the gangs of the Lower Ring were the self-proclaimed kings ruling over the unrulable ring.

"Just to talk, that's all." The man produced a thin piece of paper and tossed it expertly to Lee. "Tomorrow at sunset." He turned to leave before stopping for a second and calling out over his shoulder. "Oh, and I shouldn't need to say this, but my employer is very generous to those he likes."

* * *

Jin and Lee had both agreed not to breathe a word of what happened to their families. Since nothing happened, they didn't want to worry them unnecessarily.

Lee had been more quiet than usual after they had run into that gang member though, and when Jin confronted him about it, Lee changed the subject quickly. That night after they departed Jin made it her goal to thwart any ideas he may have had about taking the man up on his offer.

So, after school the next day Jin told Lee to wait around the schoolyard for a second. Just before she could begin her talk though, Hu-Tor and the band of cronies he called friends found them.

"Hey, Jin!" Hu-Tor began as if he was just about to unveil the world's greatest punchline. "Didn't you hear what happened yesterday? Your fire runt boyfriend isn't welcome in the city anymore."

Hu-Tor and the rest of the boys were cackling like animals, their enjoyment only growing as they saw how much it was bothering Jin and Lee.

Their responses came out in unison.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"I'm not her boyfriend!"

The pair shared a look before looking at the ground with a slight hue on their cheeks, only drawing more laughter from the bullies.

As usual Jin was the first to respond. "Don't you have something better-"

The rest of her sentence died in her throat as Lee began stomping away from the scene. His palms clenched over the continued taunting from the other boys, but he said nothing, leaving Jin to chase after him.

"Hey, don't let those jerks get to you." Jin grabbed at his shoulder when she caught up with him which he immediately shrugged off.

"I'm tired of this." Lee didn't turn to face her. There was a slight hitch in his tone that made him sound close to tears.

They walked the rest of the way back to his home in silent, Lee a few paces ahead of Jin with his eyes still staring at the ground. When they entered Lee's home, Rui wasn't there and Lee immediately went to the kitchen drawer to pull out a knife.

Jin gulped as the sharp blade shined in the light. "Umm, Lee… what are you doing?"

His response came in the form of actions, as he gripped his ponytail tightly in one hand. Then in one swift motion he cut through the base of it with such force that Jin knew it had to hurt. Lee threw the knife and hair onto the table before sitting down against the wall, his head hung low.

Jin frowned at his now unevenly cut hair, too long everywhere except the back of his head. She sat down next to him and cautiously rubbed at his shoulder. Emboldened when he didn't immediately throw her hand off, Jin spoke. "Lee, you normally don't let them get to you like that, what happened?"

Lee rubbed at his nose and sniffled before answering. "I'm just sick of being accused of something I'm not."

Jin's heart nearly shattered to pieces at his words. She couldn't understand where people got off assuming him to be of Fire Nation descent. Sure, he did have somewhat uncommon characteristics like his dark black hair and golden eyes, but that was nothing really. After all, his father looked every bit like a common Earth Kingdom man with his leather like worn skin and broad frame. Racism often wasn't grounded in reality though Jin knew, and it was easy to pick on those who looked the tiniest bit out of place.

Jin ran a hand through his freshly cut hair. "Let me clean it up a little at least."

Lee gave her a wry smile. "I'm not sure about that. I don't want you to accidentally cut off my ear like that one artist you like."

She gave him a light smack on his arm before pulling him to his feet. "He did that on purpose! And besides, I know what I am doing. Mama used to work part time at a salon while she was getting her bakery set up and I would help on occasion."

With somewhat forceful pushing Jin sat Lee down at the kitchen table. She kept a brush in her bag which helped smooth his hair out, but without proper equipment it would take her a while. Carefully, she used the kitchen shears to bring the rest of his hair to the same length. It was quite a process and they stayed in absolute silence while she concentrated on her work.

Finally satisfied, Jin put down the shears and got in front of Lee to examine her work. Beyond a few stray strands sticking up slightly above the others, she was quite happy with how it turned out. Lee's hair naturally grew spiky the shorter it was, and it had been cut to just over a half inch, so the transformation was quite dramatic.

"All done?" Lee questioned her nervously.

Jin smiled at him before pulling him to his room to examine her work in the mirror. Once there he ran a hand through it as he cocked his head back and forth.

"Well?" Jin gave a half smile, fearful that he may hate it.

"It looks… great actually. Wow, thank you Jin." He turned to smile at her, causing her heart to soar with pride over having made him feel better.

Together, they returned to the kitchen to clean up the discarded hair together. Once done, Lee spied the nearly setting sun through the window and frowned.

"Mind if I walk you home now? I want to get a jump start on my homework." Lee said while looking every which way but at her.

Jin narrowed her eyebrows, Lee was a terrible liar. "Why don't you try telling me what's really going on?" Then a second later the realization hit her. "Don't tell me you're going to go see that thug from yesterday?"

Lee kept his eyes at her feet, unable to meet her intense stare. "Well…maybe just to hear-"

"Stop." Jin cut him off and lifted his chin until their eyes met. "Lee, the gangs of the Lower Ring are not to be messed with. Whatever they want with you, it isn't good. Why do you even want to hear what they have to say? Is this about what happened yesterday in the market?"

Lee shook his head before producing a letter from his back pocket and handing it to her. "I saw my dad reading this last night."

Jin skimmed over it quickly, it was from one of Rui's former colleagues who was apparently unable to lend Rui the money he was asking for. She gave Lee an odd look. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"My dad is running out of money, Jin. We moved here out of desperation; he couldn't afford our old home in the Upper Ring even after selling most of his paintings. He barely has enough to afford our rent here. We're running out of options and I don't know where we go from here." Lee explained with a pained look on his face.

Despite having no reason to lie, Jin just couldn't believe Lee's words. Rui Yishu was a famous artist, there was no way the market for his paintings would just go up in smoke overnight. "Why is your dad not still painting, Lee?"

Lee's eyes widened, it was as if he suddenly realized just how much he had already revealed and knew now there was no way to get out of this without revealing more. He gulped before donning a serious look. "You can't tell anyone this."

Jin nodded her head, unsure who she would tell in the first place, but this was clearly very important to Lee. "I promise."

"My dad hasn't painted anything for the last three years. His hands would always hurt when he spent too long at one creation. But then all of a sudden, they started shaking so badly he couldn't even hold a brush without dropping it. We were able to survive a while on just what he had saved, but it wasn't much. He used to joke that he was an artist, not an accountant." Lee gave a sad smile at the memory. "Then by the time he started selling more of his work, he hadn't made anything in so long that he wasn't that relevant anymore. It sold for less than half what it was worth."

The pieces of the puzzle all clicked into place for Jin in that moment. The careful measured way with which Rui always seemed to conduct himself in, she always just assumed it was part of his process.

"That's why you guys got so weird about him demonstrating for me yesterday." Jin said quietly.

"Mmhmm." Lee confirmed with a nod of his head. "The pain in his hands makes it difficult for him to find work."

"You should've told me, Lee. I'm sure my parents would be glad to pay him for the lessons." Jin said without really thinking if her family could really afford the kind of help Rui and Lee needed.

"He would never allow it; my dad likes you too much to burden you with this kind of guilt. That's why he likes to keep it quiet. I didn't even know it had gotten this bad until I read that letter."

"So, you want to go to that thug because you think you can earn enough to support your father?" Jin guessed as everything made perfect sense now.

Lee nodded his head. "It's the only shot I got. If the guy was right, it would be the only way someone as young as me could make the kind of money my dad needs."

Jin pondered the situation for a moment, it was clear now that Lee was not making such a choice without having first thought it through. Still, acting out of desperation usually led to trouble. "Ok, but you have to promise you won't let them make you do anything violent."

"Of course." Lee agreed quickly.

"And I'm coming with you tonight." Jin stated in a rather matter of fact manner.

"Of course…" Lee practically sighed out the words this time.


	7. Smokey and the Crime Boss

_Any organization found to be engaging in criminal activity will be subject to immediate arrest and prosecution at the nearest Dai Li Information Center._

-Dai Li Ordinance #45

* * *

The first sign of trouble was when Lee handed Jin the note. She read it with a frown, they were supposed to go to the Fowsey District. It was a former industrial district that all the industry had moved out of a few years back. Those empty warehouses and factories that hadn’t turned into third rate apartment buildings were well known to be home to some of the biggest gangs in the entire ring.

“We’ll have to take the train.” Jin said, hoping that the inconvenience of it may make Lee abandon the foolish plan entirely.

It didnt’t, of course, and she was unsurprised when he opened the door to lead the way. Conversation between the two of them consisted of Jin sharing simple observations or thoughts which Lee would respond to with a nod of the head or a grunt.

“That tea shop makes the best jasmine tea.”

“I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.”

“Those lilies at the park just came into bloom.”

It was if they had suddenly been flung backwards in time to a point in which they were still strangers trying to figure each other out. The idea was as ridiculous as it was easy to disprove just by looking at each of them.

Lee was in deep thought, almost certainly thinking of how the night was going to go down and what he would do if things turned south. Jin knew this without even being able to see his face, Lee was a ten-year-old with all the pessimism and forward thinking of a general making his last stand facing down an impossible force.

Meanwhile, Jin’s stomach was doing somersaults and the entirety of her skin had gone ghastly pale. To say that she didn’t do well with nerves was an understatement. That wasn’t to say she was a nervous child, far from it in fact, but on those rare times she was unable to gather anything from her deep well of confidence, she could swear she was crumbling to pieces.

They both slowed at the market square where the riot took place just the day prior. Not a word had been exchanged and yet they both began looking nervously at every vendor stall. But there was no trace from yesterday, the market was as lively as ever, and yesterday’s riot forgotten like it had just been some rain that forced everyone to close early.

The rest of the way to the train station passed with little incident, Jin had given up on trying to converse with Lee and instead focused on slowing her racing heart. This close to sunset, the train station was packed with tired workers returning home. Jin took the lead, grabbing Lee by the wrist and dragging him to the nearest ticket window.

After buying a pair of tickets from a rather bored looking clerk, they boarded an empty train car and were off in minutes. The Fowsey District was on the very outskirts of the city, almost constantly shadowed by the inner wall dividing it from the Agrarian Zone. Nearly nobody took the route east this late in the day and the desolation of the train was only making the knot in Jin’s stomach constrict further.

The sun had just begun to set when the train settled into the station with a rattle. The sky was that amazing blend of oranges, pinks, and purples that only existed in the precious hour known as dusk. Something that would have normally given Jin all the inspiration she needed to begin drawing. Tonight though, she didn’t even notice.

Fowsey District was exactly like it was advertised to be, almost identical run-down factories and warehouses dotted the streets as they walked by them. Jin would have been sure they were walking in circles if not for the various gang insignia graffitied onto the sides of the buildings. It really was intricate work on each emblem that she would’ve admired if not for the sheer terror she was going through.

“I think this is it.” Lee pointed to a building with a large emblem above the door. It depicted a fiery phoenix rising above a wall, no doubt trying to reference Ba Sing Se.

Her feet were nailed to the spot and Jin was just about to beg Lee to leave before he strode forward and gave one firm knock at the door. It opened no more than a second later.

Standing on the threshold was the same man from yesterday, sans hood. With his face exposed, Jin could make out another scar running from the top of his ear to his hairline. He was smoking again and had a smile that seemed to say he had known they would show up here.

“Hey, kiddos.” He took a long inhale on his tobacco roll before blowing out three smoke rings, a trick he no doubt learned to impress or intimidate others. “Good to see you.”

Jin was annoyed he still wasn’t offering his name and was just about to ask for it when he stepped aside and gestured them to come in. She took hold of Lee’s wrist and stopped him right as he took his first step.

“What’s inside?” The question came with the meanest glare that she could muster.

The man merely laughed. “The Earth King. What do you think is in here? Now get in here before one of our rivals decide you’re easy targets.”

This spurred them both into action and the door was shut behind them. Inside the warehouse were wooden crates stacked from floor to ceiling, all lacking in any sort of marking to say what they held. At the center of the warehouse, standing at the only place there weren’t boxes, was another man.

This second man was slightly older, the tops of his beard just beginning to go gray. He wore a sleeveless tunic, clearly proud of the muscles that his bronzed skin was seemingly struggling to contain.

“And what have you brought me?” The question was clearly directed at the smoking man. Jin doubted she could have actually spoken anyway. Her throat was so dry her tongue felt like sand when she dragged it across the roof of her mouth.

“Boss, this kid.” The smoking man put a hand onto Lee’s shoulder. “He would be perfect our new enterprise.”

“What about the girl?” The man crossed his arms, although Jin couldn’t tell if it was from annoyance or if he was just sizing them up.

“She’s his manager.”

It was clearly a joke, but neither man smiled or laughed and Jin had no desire to correct them.

“Got a name kid?” The “boss” man asked him.

Lee almost took a step forward, but stopped at the last moment. “Lee.”

“Nice to meet you, Lee.” The man flashed a smile that Jin thought was supposed to be welcoming, but it only reminded her of how she read sabre tooth moose will flash their teeth right before pouncing on their prey. “My name is Diahu, I’m glad you decided to come meet with me tonight. Where do you live?”

_He’s certainly direct._ Jin thought as she shuffled imperceptibly closer to Lee.

“The Garori District.” Lee answered far too readily for her liking.

“Lee!” Jin seethed out from between her clenched teeth. Never would she have thought he would be stupid enough to reveal that, even if it was only their general location.

“What’s your name, girl?” Diahu asked her. He had an amused smile on his face, but there was a quick twitch of his eye that betrayed his annoyance.

“Jin.” She met his stare and rose to her full stature. Despite the massive height difference between the two of them, Jin was not about to show just how terrified she still was. “Why don’t you get to the point already?”

Diahu’s smile only grew. “I like your style, Jin, maybe we could make use of your talent as well.” Her frown told him exactly how she felt about that. “My colleague tells me that you both managed to come out of that nasty riot yesterday with not a scratch on either of you. Lee especially impressed him. I think you’d make an excellent addition to my business venture.”

“What do you want me to do?” Lee questioned; his tone was reeking with such desperation that Jin felt like vomiting.

“Delivery. Of various packages and letters.” Diahu stated with a shrug of his shoulders.

“You want me to be a delivery boy?” Lee’s face twisted in confusion.

“If you’d like to call yourself that, sure. But I’d consider you more of my right-hand man, the connector between A and B.”

“Why can’t one of your other gang minions do that?” Jin was sick of the song and dance and needed some answers now before they spent the whole night here.

Diahu snapped his fingers. “Excellent question, Jin. My associates and I are a little too… noticeable. Lee is not only great at getting himself out of trouble, but he’s also so invisible in a crowd he won’t ever get into trouble.”

Lee was mouthing something under his breath before he looked up at Diahu, his eyes locking with the older man’s. “That’s it, then? You just want me to take stuff from one person to another?”

“It’s that simple, bud.” Diahu gave a signal to the smoking man who in turn handed Lee a small pouch. Jin could see the unmistakable glint of several gold coins sticking out from the fabric. “Consider that an introductory bonus.”

“I haven’t agreed to anything.” Lee found his backbone for the first time all night.

“Of course you haven’t.” Diahu said, undeterred. “At the market square in Garori, there’s a fruit vendor that sells nothing but papayas. If you want to work for me, talk to the man and mention that I sent you.”

“And what happens if he doesn’t want to work for you?” Jin was not about to let Lee walk into this so blindly.

“Then this will sadly be our last conversation.” Diahu leaned back against the edge of a crate, doing his best to show he was a man with nothing to hide.

“Wouldn’t you be worried since you showed us your secret base?” Jin was already looking for a way to make a quick escape as she asked the question.

Diahu showed all his teeth as he grinned widely. “This is hardly a secret base, Jin. I understand your apprehension, but my associates and I have more important things to do than chase down a couple of kids who rejected me. My heart may take a few weeks to mend, but time heals all wounds.”

The smoking man cleared his throat. “Alright kiddos, time for the grown ups to talk. Run along home before the search parties start.”

Jin crinkled her nose. “I still have questions.”

“I’m sure you do, but that’s all the answers I have for now. I do hope you take my offer, Lee. I would hate for this to be my last conversation with Jin.” Diahu had a way of speaking that made him sound like the sincerest man on the planet even if you knew he was lying.

With nothing else to do, Jin and Lee made for the door.

* * *

The ride and subsequent walk home went by quickly, both of them too lost in their own thoughts to even try conversing with each other. Night was fully on them now, so they found their way home with the streets bathed in the gentle candlelight illuminating from the lamp posts lining the streets.

They arrived at Lee’s house a few minutes after 9 o’clock, the moon still not quite at its highest point in the sky.

“Jin?” The concerned voice of her mother was the first thing they heard as they swung the door open, eliciting a gulp from the pair.

All three of them, Lee’s father and Jin’s parents, were on them in an instant, not even giving Jin and Lee enough time to fully enter the room.

“Hi… Mom. What are you doing here?” Jin didn’t even realize that her parents knew where Lee lived.

From her expression it was clear her mom was not about to answer any of her daughter’s questions before first getting her own answered. “Where were you?”

“Tien, they are safe. Perhaps we should just head home.” Siyu suggested to his wife, attempting to diffuse the tense atmosphere. She looked at him with such fury that it would make the Fire Lord quiver. From beside him, Rui did his best to stifle his laughter.

“Answer the question, Jin.” Her mother had enough patience for the entire world and then some.

Lee took a step forward to defend her. Jin felt sorry for him when he opened his mouth. “We were… we were…” He lost his nerve when Tien’s eyes fell on his.

“I helped Lee get a job.” Jin was perhaps the only person in the world capable of matching her mom when she was on a war path. “That’s why we were so late.”

The mention of his son getting a job piqued Rui’s interest. When he spoke, his voice had the slightest undertone of sadness. “Where did you get a job?”

“A black smith.” Jin answered for him, not trusting Lee for a second to lie. None of them blinked when she spoke for Lee, all far too used to it by now. “Two districts over. He’s going to apprentice there and the nice owner even said he’d help him make dao swords so he can practice.”

_Too many details._ Jin chastised herself, she was still recovering from earlier and was not yet back at her fullest capabilities. Luckily, everybody seemed pacified by her answer.

“That’s excellent.” Rui said with a smile. “Tien, Siyu, I am terribly sorry that the children worried you so much. I am sure next time they will be more considerate.” He gave a pointed look to them and they both nodded.

Tien’s face relaxed after a few more seconds of intense studying of her daughter. “I suppose you are right. I am sorry to have bothered you, Rui.”

“Always a pleasure to host you.”

Jin barely had time to say goodbye to Lee before she was dragged out the door by her mother.

* * *

“Hey, look over there! A wolfbat just stole that lady’s hat!”

Gun-Su ignored the obvious deception from his sister. “Nice try, Jin. You already finished yours and I’m not giving you one bit of mine.”

Jin’s brother had picked her up after school and took her to one of her favorite places in the Lower Ring, the Endless Staircase.

Despite the moniker, the stairs did not go on forever, but the exhausting trek up them most likely led to more than one person saying they never ended. The stairs were originally meant to go over the inner wall between the Middle and Lower Ring, but the architect was a poor planner. He had infamously miscalculated and by the time his building reached the dividing wall he was only halfway up it. Rather than restart, the architect claimed this to be his original intent and built a high-end restaurant at the top of the stairs.

The siblings loved to pick up a treat from what they called “Dessert Circle”, a collection of vendors who concocted all sorts of delectable food from across the globe, and sit about a quarter a way up the stairs. Even from there they could see for miles.

Today’s treat was made from the shavings of ice combined with crushed berries. The vendor had called it “Berry Ice” but they both agreed the name could stand for some workshopping.

Jin had an incorrigible sweet tooth and her brother loved to indulge her. To a point of course, he wasn’t about to give up his own treat just because his sister had no idea how to ration.

“Little Sparrow.” Gun-Su began with his pet nickname for her. “Can I talk to you about something serious?”

Jin couldn’t help but giggle, his tongue was stained blue from the ice and it was greatly distracting. He gave her a playful shoulder bump and she nodded her head.

“Jin.” He tried again before sighing. “You’ve been hanging out with Lee a lot lately.”

Her eyes narrowed instantly. “Yeah… so what?”

“Nothing just-” Another sigh escaped him. “You were out pretty late last night with him I heard.”

“Did Mom put you up to this?” The wheels were turning faster and faster in Jin’s mind now, trying to sniff out exactly what her brother was hinting at.

He gave her an awkward smile that seemed to be an attempt at reassuring Jin he was on her side. “No, I just am curious about the guy is all.”

Jin looked at him with a studious gaze, the same look her mother had given her just the night prior. “Well… what do you want to know about him?”

“I was just wondering how much you know about his parents. Like his father… or mother?”

The question was far too on the nose. Gun-Su did not understand how to dance around a conversation like Jin and their mom. He was much more like their father, constantly saying what was on their minds with no nuance whatsoever.

Jin’s lip moved ever so slightly downward, the ghost of a sneer just threatening to show. “You already know I take art lessons from his dad and that he’s a painter. He doesn’t talk about his mother and I don’t ask.”

Gun-Su’s entire face was pale, even he seemed unsure if wanted to continue down this path. Then he opened his mouth and took the plunge. “Lee doesn’t really… fit in with other kids your age and I was just thinking maybe his mom came from a different culture.”

“He fits in just fine with me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on, Jin, don’t make me say it. Look, he seems nice, but don’t you think his appearance is a little… different?”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing or rather what her brother seemed to be implying. Jin honestly wondered if at some point before the riot took place she had stepped into some alternate reality where everybody gave each other the shifty eye treatment just for daring to look the slightest bit different. Then she thought about it for a moment and realized these hostilities had always been there, she had just never been friends with someone who looked different.

Disgusted, Jin rose to her feet and wiped her dress. “Lee is my friend, end of discussion.” She stalked a few steps down before turning around to face him. “And I think I’ll go spend some more time with him right now, if you don’t mind.”

Jin hurried down the stairs, but her brother gave no pursuit. Her vision went hazy as tears pricked at the back of her eyes as she travelled the well memorized route to Lee’s.


End file.
